About InciMatch
Ingredient transparency for expensive decisions.
Skincare, haircare, and personal care products can come with big promises, but answering the "Will it work for me?" question is difficult and time-consuming. InciMatch exists to surface the information you need to know before spending $65 on a product.
The beauty and personal care industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Most of that money is spent on marketing that may or may not be telling you the whole truth.
When research does exist, it's often funded by the brand selling the product, measured over short time frames, lacks rigor in favor of cost-savings, and difficult to find unless you know where to look.
None of that means the products don't work. It means you're making decisions with incomplete information, and the missing pieces are often the most important ones.
I built InciMatch to make difficult questions about product efficacy easier for individuals to answer.
My process for each product
1. Start with the INCI list.
The ingredient list is the one piece of information brands are legally required to disclose accurately. I use it as the foundation for everything else.
2. Research the key ingredients.
For each hero ingredient, I look at published research: peer-reviewed studies when available, brand-funded studies with their limitations noted. I check concentrations against what's been shown to be effective in research.
3. Evaluate brand claims.
When a brand says "clinically proven" or cites a study, I try to find the actual research. Sometimes it's solid. Sometimes it's 15 people over two weeks. Sometimes it doesn't exist. I note what I find.
4. Look at real-world patterns.
I read through user discussions on Reddit, review sections, and skincare communities to understand how products perform across different skin types, climates, and routines. This isn't scientific, but it surfaces patterns that studies miss—like a product that pills under sunscreen or a texture that doesn't work in humid climates.
5. Present what I found.
I don't assign scores or rankings. I explain what's in the formula, what the research says, who the product seems designed for, and who might want to skip it. You make the call.
About Me
I've been in UX and UX Research for over a decade. As a researcher, I spent time digging into how products actually perform for real users. This experience taught me to be skeptical of claims, methodical about evidence, and focused on what actually helps people make decisions.
InciMatch is a solo project. I research, write, and maintain everything myself. That means I move slowly and can't cover everything, but I'm slowly working on it.
If I get something wrong, I want to know. Corrections and feedback make the site better.
Contact: contact
How InciMatch Makes Money
InciMatch earns money through affiliate commissions. When you click a product link on this site and make a purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale from the retailer.
You pay the same price whether you use my link or go directly to the retailer. The commission comes from the retailer's marketing budget, not from you. I don't choose to include products based on affiliate commission rates or adjust my analysis based on affiliate relationships. Affiliate commissions help offset the costs of running this site.
This disclosure complies with Federal Trade Commission guidelines on affiliate marketing.